HARD growth under wing, what to do?!?

[deemathes]

Looking everywhere for advice. I have an 11 month old Japanese Bantam hen who stopped laying 10/12/15 (before the time/weather change). Her comb is red and healthy, and albeit a little thin, she is behaving normally. Eating, drinking, pooping all normal. No signs of worms. I examined her and found a large lump under her wing, sort of at the joint. If it were on a human, I would say it is hot to the touch, but on a chicken under the wing, it tends to be hotter there anyway, so I'm not sure. It is very hard, and doesn't move like a cyst if you push on it. There are black squishy lumps on it, which I now know are veins. Big ones. Someone told me they were worms and had to come out, which is why one got cut. Here is a pic. Please excuse all the bloody flour on her, was trying to stop the bleeding. Any advice appreciated. (Vet not an option)

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be a tumor, since an injury that has become abscessed, would tend to be softer and have drainage. Do you see any signs of maggots in the tissue? I would get some chlorhexidene from your local Walmart in the first aid aisle, or use some diluted betadine, and cleanse the area to disinfect it. Repeat it if necessary, every day to see if it heals. Betadine can impede healing with repeated use. Tumors are common in chickens, but also there are some diseases, such as Mareks and lymphoid leukosis, that cause tumors.

 

[deemathes]

Interesting. Thank you. I have been using Vetericyn on it for cleansing. I also have Blue Kote on hand. I see no signs of maggots at all. It makes me sad that she stopped laying. She did good for a Japanese Bantam, 6 eggs a week consistently. She does look a bit thin to me, but often has as she is usually standing next to an Orpington or such as.

Have you ever heard of tumors causing a cessation in laying?

 

[Sutremaine]

How much does she weigh?

 

[deemathes]

Good question. I haven't weighed her. They are cooped for the night, I will definitely find out tomorrow afternoon. She is very light. To estimate, I would guess only a pound or two.

 

[Eggcessive]

Vetericyn is great to use on wounds. Plain Neosporin ointment can be applied to the wound to keep it moist and promote healing. This time of year, many chickens take a break from laying due to the short days, but it could be due to her illness. I would try to feed her some extra protein with chopped egg, tuna, or liver. Do you know if she was vaccinated for Mareks?